Re: [Paddlewise] new GPS etc

Michael Noyes has written an interesting evaluation of the new Garmin Etrex 
GPS, which is allegedly submersible.

My experience with the Garmin II+, also supposedly submersible, was that if I 
left it attached to my deck even for a (30-60 min) paddle and it got a few 
drips of fresh water on it - no rolls, no rescues, no waves over the deck - 
the battery compartment would have water in it at the end of the trip. After 
a few episodes of this, letters to Paddlewise, a few calls to Garmin, etc, 
the unit became unusable due to corroded battery terminals - even though I 
tried to dry out the battery compartment after each use. 

The unit was returned to Garmin, "repaired", but the battery compartment 
continued to leak with even the slightest exposure to drips of water. I 
returned it to Garmin again, and they "repaired" it again. All of my 
waypoints were lost in this second repair. 

Now I never use the unit without the protection of an AquaSafe bag. I still 
worry about water though, because after a couple of hours the inside of the 
bag gets droplets of condensation on it. But the battery compartment has 
stayed free of obvious water droplets for a season now. I presume this water 
is the result of battery action within the bag.

Moral (as far as I'm concerned): the battery compartments of Garmin GPS units 
are NOT submersible or even water-resistant, despite what the company claims, 
or implies.

Bill Hansen
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************